Weir Minerals, based in the UK, hopes to revolutionise mine site mill operations with a new mill lining rubber compound. Vulco R67 rubber, the company said, is made with proprietary new compounds to provide superior wear life, uptime, and reliability in mill lining systems. These abrasion and impact-resistant rubber compounds were created for mill lining applications.
The R67 compound is ideal for lifter bars, head/shell plates, and grates because of its high hardness, elongation, tensile, and tear strength. When combined with metal cap mill liners, it creates a versatile, cost-effective, and efficient product that weighs up to 50% less than steel alone. Its lighter weight makes it faster, easier, and safer to install.
According to Weir, a number of mining companies that have already used these compounds have reported a 20-40% improvement in wear life, resulting in fewer mill lining replacements and longer mill campaigns. This reduction in shutdowns has the double benefit of increasing cost savings while also improving plant availability, it said.